1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle back-up alarms, and more particularly to a vehicle back-up alarm that is activated by a photo sensor detecting when a vehicle back-up light turns on.
2. Background Information
Vehicle back-up alarms have been known and used in the prior art for a number of years. They were originally installed on construction and industrial equipment used in noisy environments, such as construction sites or manufacturing facilities where there is a lot of activity and where workers may not hear the equipment being backed up until it is too late to prevent injury.
The original designs, still in use today, are back-up alarms which are mounted, in one fashion or another and are activated by movement of a vehicle axle. It was and continues to be a lot of work to install these devices, and it generally requires a skilled mechanic to do so.
Eventually usage expanded to delivery vehicles, but again they are typically axle-mounted devices which require skilled mechanics to install them. More recently back-up alarm designs have been developed which utilize the vehicle electrical system, and in particular, the lines which power the back-up lights of the vehicle. These designs generally include replacing or modifying the light socket for one of the back-up lights of the vehicle, such that when the light is activated by the driver placing the vehicle in a reverse gear, the alarm begins to sound. Again, installation of these types of devices requires the services of a mechanic, or someone skilled in identifying the wiring systems and capable of changing a light socket on a vehicle.
Vehicle back-up alarms save lives and prevent injuries. It is desirable that their usage be further expanded to include installation on all sorts of vehicles, including passenger vehicles. For example, many fast food restaurants feature delivery services. Typically these delivery services are accomplished by part-time employees who use their own personal vehicles for which their mileage is reimbursed by the restaurant. There are other situations where back-up alarms would be highly useful, particularly with passenger vans, recreational vehicles and automobiles where the drivers cannot easily see behind them as they are backing up along driveways, alleys or even in parking lots. It is tragic, and unfortunately common, for small children who are not paying attention to be run over and either injured or killed by a family member backing a vehicle out of a garage and down a driveway.
Unfortunately, the prior art designs for back-up alarms make them difficult for ordinary people to purchase and install. Since installation requires the services of a skilled mechanic, they are not readily available to the general public through department or discount stores. To purchase a prior art back-up alarm, and have it installed, one usually must first go to a specialty store, such as an auto parts store to purchase the back-up alarm, and then to a mechanic to have it installed. If one were to install a back-up alarm in a personal vehicle, and then decide to sell the vehicle and purchase a new one, the seller of the vehicle must first go back to the mechanic to have the back-up alarm removed from the old car and again back to the mechanic to have it re-installed in the new vehicle.
What is needed is a back-up alarm that can be installed on a vehicle without the aid of a mechanic, and without mechanically or electrically altering the vehicle configuration. What is needed is a back-up alarm whose installation is so simple that virtually anyone in the general public who qualifies to hold a driver's license can install and/or remove the back-up alarm from any vehicle that has back-up lights.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle back-up alarm system which optically senses when the back-up lights are illuminated to activate a loud speaker or transducer to provide a warning signal external of the vehicle, to persons located outside, particularly rearward, of the vehicle. It is another object of this invention to provide a vehicle back-up alarm that can be installed without interconnection to, or alteration of, the vehicle electrical or mechanical systems. It is another object of the present invention to provide for a vehicle back-up alarm that can be installed in minutes without the use of tools and likewise removed in minutes without the need for using hand tools. It is another object to provide a vehicle back-up alarm which can be installed by the vast majority of the general public without the aid of a mechanic.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.